Neo
Meaning
new; immortalized by Neo in The Matrix (1999)
The story
Neo is the Greek word for new, about as compact as a meaning can get, and in southern Africa it also stands on its own as a Tswana name meaning gift. But the reason most Americans know it is 1999: The Matrix, in which Keanu Reeves's hacker Thomas Anderson takes the name Neo, discovers the world is an elaborate simulation, and learns he may be the One; the name itself is an anagram of one, a detail the film wears proudly. Neo first appears in American records in that same era, the 1990s, and it has climbed since, reaching its strongest level yet in the 2020s. We cannot prove the film opened the door, but the timing could hardly line up better. Few names are this literally new, and fewer still arrive with a built-in destiny.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Neo peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
212 people · the #24,401 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 43
Among people named Neo living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Neo
Most people given the name Neo in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Neo deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Neo truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Neo fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Neo fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Neo to your family’s tree →